Folding umbrella.



W. H. BEEHLER.

FOLDING UMBRELLA. APPLICATION FILED NOV-3.1915.

Patented July 10, 1917'.

gnve'nllot aftozmg FOLDING UMBRELLA.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BEEHLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Umbrellas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvedfolding construction, especially adapted for umbrella tips, although in some cases the punciples disclosed might be applied to joints in other parts of the umbrella. It will be sufficient herein, however, to describe the invention as embodied in a foldable tip.

The most secure and practical way of connecting a folding tip to the rod in operative position is by means of a screw thread. For commercial reasons it is imperative to use for umbrella rods steel tubing of standard dimensions, which is produced by steel mills in large quantities. The steel rod of suitable dimensions for close rolling umbrellas has a small outside diameter and a thin wall, and the threading of this rod to receive the detachable tip is, therefore, a diflicult problem. The thread of sufficient depth to have durability cuts half Way, or more than half way, through the wall of the rod and greatly weakens the rod, and without special precautions a satisfactory folding tip structure, therefore, cannot be secured by threading the rod itself.

The present invention is designed to avoid the difficulty mentioned, and to enable a satisfactory folding tip construction to be made, which employs an internally threaded rod to receive the threaded inner end of the ti The characteristics and advantages of the invention will be sufliciently explained hereafter in connection with a description of the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one exemplifying embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood that the invention is capable of embodiment in other forms. and I do not limit myself to details, except as claimed.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal view, the rod and immediately associated parts being in section and the tip, with its connected parts, in elevation, the tip being shown in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the tip in folded position.

The parts are shown in the drawing much larger than actual size for the sake of clear- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July I0, 1917.

. Application filed November 3, 1915. 7

Serial No. 59,392.

ness, but relative proportions are preserved as closely as possible. In work of this kind, where very close dimensional limits are imposed by the character of the material which must be employed, the proportions are of great importance.

The tubular rod 1 is standard steel rod with a thin wall. In the end of this rod is an internal thread 2 which extends a considerable distance from the end. This thread, it will be noticed, cuts about half way through the wall of the rod, and possibly, in some cases, more than half way, leaving the rod with a very weak end. The tip 3 is preferably made of a solid piece of steel and at its inner end is provided with an external thread 4, to fit the thread 2 of the rod. If this tip were screwed into the threaded rod, the rod would break off in a large number of cases, since the leverage imposed upon the threaded part, when the umbrella is in use, is very considerable.

To prevent such breakage, I provide a special notch 5, which has an extension, or part, 6 reaching to the end of the rod and also an extension or part 7, lying on the rod some distance inward from the end of the thread. The notch 5 performs its ordinary function, and also acts as an effective reinforcement for the screw-thread. The extension 6 overlying the screw-threaded portion of the rod prevents breakage at any point of the screw-threaded portion. The extension 7 extends well down along the rod beyond the inner end of the screw-threaded part of the rod and strains applied to the threaded portion are transferred through the notched-extension 7 to a solid part of the rod well removed from the screw-thread. Bending or breaking adjacent to the tip is thus practically eliminated, because the structure at this point is actually stronger than other unreinforced parts of the rod.

The notch may be applied to the rod, either before or after the rod is threaded. I have devised various ways for securing the notch in position. It may be assumed, in the present embodiment, that the notch is brazed upon the rod, but I do not limit myself to this fastening, and may employ other means of securing the notch.

The notch is provided with the usual slotted flanges 8 for attachment of the ribs 9.

The usual finishing cap 10 may be secured to the notch extension 6 in any suitable manner.

vThe manner of attaching and folding the tip will be obvious from the drawing with- 7 out particular description.

I claim:

1'. In an umbrella, or the like, the combination of a tubular rod having an internal thread extending inward from the end, a notch extending along the rod from the end to a point well below the end of the screw thread to reinforce the rod and thread and a'tip having an external thread to engage the thread in the rod.

2. In an umbrella, or the like, the combination of a tubular metal rod having an internal thread extending inward from the end of the rod, this screw-thread cutting deeply into the metal wall of the rod, a tubular notch having a wall of substantial thickness and extending substantially from the end of the rod to a point thereon well below the end of said screw-thread, the part of the notch overlying the screw-threaded part of the rod serving to reinforce the rod and prevent breakage at an intermediate part of'the screw-thread and the part of the notch overlying the solid part of the rod serving to transfer strains from the threaded part of the rod to the inward unthreaded part thereof,.and a detachable tip having an external thread to engage the thread in the rod.

WILLIAM H. BEEHLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

